Learning how to send commercial email is imperative to your online success, and your integrity as an online businessperson. Your primary goal is to send only to people who have given you "permission" to email them by opting-in to your list. Building a Solid opt-in list is really rather easy, below are a few ideas to get you thinking how you can start building yours.

There are many different ways to build your opt-in list. Here are just a few:
• Offer an Ezine on a subject of interest to your target market.
• Offer a single or a series of free reports through your autoresponder.
• Offer a free ebook that will be of interest to your target customer.
• Place an advertisement for your biz-op or product in an ezine and have the request go to your autoresponder.
• Offer to keep them up-to-date on your Specials, and Sales.
• Offer them a Discount Coupon for joining your list.
• Ask potential customers if they want to be on your list.
• Buy legitimate, targeted, double-opt-in lists from a reliable source.

Learning to build your very own "targeted" mailing list is not really all that difficult. Once you accomplish building a list, you will be able to effectively market to this list for many years. Since your list is being mailed to a highly "targeted" list of recipients, your chances of success will be much higher than if you were spamming. You will certainly get a lot more orders and make a lot more profit when you send your offers to such a list.

By building a legitimate email list you can:

We want you to be a better Net-Citizen. Therefore, We encourage you to keep current with new rules and regulations. We are providing some educational resources so that you will have the opportunity to understand the laws and protect yourself from getting into trouble. The following links are websites that will help educate you about Spam.

We Highly Recommended These Spam Resources
> Spam Recycle
> Cauce.ORG
> SpamLaws.com
> SpamAbuse.net

First and Foremost, "Spam" mail, can get in a HUGE amount of trouble. We do not advocate the use of "Spam". We are strictly against using Spam to market and fully support anyone working to get rid of it! Always be ready to prove your innocence.

We recommend that if you want to make any real money using email, then stay up-to-date on Spam issues. Do Not use this method - EVER.

Email marketing can produce amazing results and insure your success as an online marketer. You don't have to Spam the globe with your biz-op or product to be successful online. As a matter of fact, in the long run can severely damage your reputation. You can build a legitimate "opt-in" list of prospects and then turn them into life-long customers by keeping in touch with them on a regular basis. Email is the best way to accomplish this quickly, without spending a fortune. And an Autoresponder will automate the process.

List Buyers Beware!

Everyone should know that sending unsolicited commercial email (UCE) messages to any one or more persons, who has not requested the information, is considered spamming buy most standards. A "Spam" mailing list is a list that is made up of email addresses that have been harvested through a variety of methods. The mailing list isn't targeted and the sender usually doesn't care. The spammer gets the list Cheap, sends the unwanted message to the list hoping that some of these recipients will be interested in what they are offering.

So how do you know if you are Spamming?

Although there is a difference of opinion on the subject, we highly recommend that you do not send email to anyone unless you have proof that they asked to receive it. As an extra precaution and no matter how they asked for the information - by phone, email or mail, Make Sure to always keep a record of the request. If they ever complain that you are spamming them, as will occasionally happen because they forgot, you then have documentation of their request. The safest way to keep a record is by having each person opt-in by some email format, having their email address in the From: field.

Here are a few guidelines you can use:

1. DO NOT email a list of non-targeted email addresses that were acquired from an unknown source.
2. DO NOT purchase compiled lists on CD-roms, floppy's, or other methods used to store data. Watch for people offering bulk lists (1000's of emails in a database) for very low costs. These lists are useless and this is a known scam.
3. DO NOT assume that just because someone else took the time to compile a list of email addresses, and put them in a database, that they are opt-in addresses. Ask specific questions when buying lists from third parties.

If you don't follow the above common sense examples you may find yourself in serious trouble.

Spammers, especially new ones, usually believe that the more email they send promoting their offer, the more sales they will make. But that is rarely the case. Spammers with an attitude like this find out the hard way that it's very costly, even dangerous, to send out "Spam" mail. While the "Spam" mailings "may" get a few orders here and there, the majority of people receiving the unwanted email will usually become annoyed. Many will not do business with you even if they are interested in what you are offering, Because you spammed them.

Some will go out of their way to make the spammers life miserable. Others will simply make a complaint to the spammer's ISP, aka, Internet Service Provider, or Hosting Company and get you shut down. Some people get creative and will send mail bombs, undetectable viruses, write nasty letters, and even threaten to cause physical harm to the sender. There have also been extreme cases of people confronting spammers at their front door, calling the Spammer's toll-free number and raking up a huge bill, and making late night prank phone calls to their homes.

Just keep this in mind, It IS NOT worth it! In the end, it isn't low cost by any definition. Don't take on the attitude of, "Well all they have to do is delete it if they don't want it". Most people whether they are new or veteran users, quickly get hammered daily with unsolicited email and will do whatever it takes to stop it! Don't be their target!

Once you begin using responsible email you will be amazed with how quickly you will see profits roll in.

Email marketing is the best-kept secret on the Internet! Most other marketing methods don't even compare to the success you can achieve by being a Good Net-Citizen. Soon you to are going to be able to reap the rewards by simply following the Golden Rule and respecting the people on the other end of the Net.